TARION - Illegal Building

It is illegal for a builder to enter into an Agreement of Purchase and Sale or construction contract with a purchaser if the builder is not registered with Tarion. It is also illegal to begin construction of a home or condominium without first enrolling it with Tarion. Offenders will be charged by Tarion under the Ontario New Home Warranties Plan Act.

Tarion employs a team of seasoned investigators to uncover builders and vendors in Ontario who fail to register and/or to enrol new homes with Tarion.

The investigators partner with municipalities and building officials in Ontario to find and prosecute these offenders. For information about an initiative that demonstrates this relationship, see New Information Sharing between Tarion and Municipalities.

Under the Act, fines of up to $100,000 can be imposed by Ontario Courts. In addition, convicted offenders may be imprisoned for up to one year, placed on probation and/or required to pay Tarion any monies owed.

Illegal building affects everyone in the new home industry. For a list of recently convicted builders, see the latest Tarion Enforcement Quarterly Conviction Report.

If you have any information about illegal building activities in the province, please call Tarion's anonymous tip-line at 1-800-786-6497. All information received is kept confidential. Tarion does not subscribe to call display.